With just two days ahead of the date agreed with Brussels, the Spanish Government yesterday presented the draft update of the National Energy and Climate Plan (Pniec), which accelerates the commitment to renewables with the goal of generating 81% of electricity by 2030. The plan contains the new objectives of the energy transition aligned, as sources from the Ministry of Ecological Transition explained yesterday, with the challenges set by the European Union to adjust to the needs of the new geopolitical context resulting from the war in Ukraine.
The document, which will be available for public consultation until September 4, reinforces Spain’s commitment to decarbonisation objectives and updates the reduction of greenhouse gases to 32% by 2030, against the previous goal of 23%.
The 107 measures of the plan are focused on accelerating the commitment to renewable energies with the aim that by 2030 they will generate 81% of the electricity and 48% of the total energy consumption in the country. Of the 213 GW of total installed power per year foreseen in the plan, 166.2 GW will come from renewable technologies.
It is the lever with which Spain plans to move forward with the objective of reducing energy dependence on the outside world and avoiding tense situations such as the one unleashed after the gas supply cut by Russia. In this sense, the plan establishes the objective of reaching 51% energy dependence by 2030, compared to the 73% it reached before the pandemic.
To achieve this, 294,000 million euros will be invested, of which 85% will come from private investment, and 15% from public investment (11% corresponding to European funds).
The biggest boost is given to storage, necessary to stabilize the large renewable development, with an increase in targets of more than 110%, as the target is set to reach 2030 with 18,543 MW installed , compared to 8,828 in the previous plan.
Another of the big differences with the previous plan is that the role of renewable gases is foreseen as a key element to promote decarbonisation. Because of this, the biogas production challenges practically double to 440 GW (against the previous 240 GW). Biomass goes from 1,009 to 1,409 and a green hydrogen production of up to 11 GW in 2030 is established.
In the renewable field, the biggest boost, with a growth of more than 100%, is received by thermoelectric solar energy, which is estimated at 4.8 GW. Wind power and photovoltaics will continue to grow strongly to reach 62 GW installed, 47.2% more than the former, and 76.3 GW of photovoltaics, 34.6% more, with a special boost for self-consumption, which will be boosted up to 19 GW.
Savings are another of the strong points of the new climate strategy. In this area, incentives are being introduced for the first time for the use of the railway, the decarbonisation of aeronautical activity, rural development and the integration of renewables in the environment.
The objectives for the rehabilitation of homes are also being reinforced to boost thermal comfort in 1.38 million homes, compared to the 1.2 million established previously. It also increases the total goal of electric vehicles, which goes from the current 5 million to 5.5 million.
Of the 294,000 million planned investment, 40% will be allocated to renewable energies; 29%, to savings and efficiency; 18%, in energy networks, and 12%, in the electrification of the economy.
All this is estimated to result in an additional GDP growth of 2.5%, with employment creation of between 430,000 and 522,000 new jobs between 2025 and 2030.
To update this energy transformation plan, a public consultation was already held, during which more than 2,000 allegations were received. Another consultation procedure was opened yesterday until September 4.
